Briarwood Park

Drew Valley Holds Neighborhood Cookout and Party @ Briarwood Park

swalker59 — Sat, 18 May 2013 23:41:11 +0000

The Drew Valley neighborhood held their Spring neighborhood cookout and party at the new playground and pavilion area at Briarwood Park. We had approximately 100 neighbors and family members attend with a steady crowd of around 60-70 in attendance during the entire event. The local fire station brought in a Fire Truck for the kids to climb around on. the new playground equipment was a big hit with the kids too ! Burgers and hotdogs were grilled out over charcoal on the newly installed grills as neighbors brought in all sorts of favorites for side dishes and desserts.

Thanks to all who came out and enjoyed the day as well as everyone who volunteered to pull the whole thing together and make it a great success !!

Briarwood Park 2013 Swimming Pool Schedule

swalker59 — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:53:59 +0000

The Swimming Pool @ Briarwood Park is due to open May 25th this year !! Hours of operation are Mondays, Wednesdays,- Saturdays Noon – 6:00 PM with the Pool being closed on Tuesdays.

Playground at Briarwood Park now open !!

swalker59 — Wed, 08 May 2013 00:25:24 +0000

The new Playground at Briarwood Park is now open and tonight the parking lot is full and kids are enjoying the new facility !!

Plan to visit soon and check out your new and improved Park !!

Friends of Briarwood Park Monthly Meeting

swalker59 — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:47:27 +0000

Friends of Briarwood Park monthly meeting is Tuesday May 7th 6:30-7:30 pm. We will hold the meeting outdoors at the Forest Patio Pavilion area.(site of the OLD playground) Everyone is invited to come out and see what we have been working on and what we will be working on in the future………Hope to see lots of people come out and join in.

Phase 1 of the Forest Patio project is complete

swalker59 — Sat, 04 May 2013 17:05:01 +0000

Phase 1 of the Forest Patio project is completed (pictures attached). Thank you to all of our volunteers including Stephanie from Drew Valley, Terrell Carstens, Chris and Val Horner, Rob Turner and his family, Josh Sinclair, Anand Thaker, Greg Trinkle, Steve and Lee Walker. Big thank you to Greg Trinkle for the use of his pressure washer. Steve Walker built the fence yesterday. A few minor things remain including trellis’ at the community garden and garden plants. The landscape beds are built, perennials and herbs are planted, fruit trees are in the ground (Apricot, Apple, Peach and Plum) and the community garden fence is up. The Butterfly Garden in the center of the landscape will develop butterfly/hummingbird blooms by July or earlier. We’ll begin planting the garden when the irrigation system is installed in the next couple of weeks.

Phase 2 will consist of picnic table area renovation, irrigation system installation and river bridge reconstruction.

If you’d like to donate online please go to our website www.briarwoodparkga.org . Any funds donated will go towards a matching grant program from Park Pride. Not to say all funds will be matched but they contribute towards the Park Pride matching grant programs that occur in November. You’ll find promotional opportunities with Blo Beauty Bar (30% off) and Brookhaven Fitness Studio (free class) on our website as well.

We currently need river bridge reconstruction assistance and irrigation piping installation (installation only).

We’d like to thank the following corporate sponsors:

Melissa – Blo Beauty Bar – www.blobeautybar.com – Corporate Sponsorship

Rachael Moncayo – Brookhaven Fitness Studio – www.brookhavenfitness.com – Corporate Sponsorship

Kerri and Jared Levitt-Buckhaven Construction Services- www.buckhaven.com – Bobcat Services

Casey Tree – www.caseytree.com – Bobcat services, wood chip mulch

Jeremy Barnes – Ferguson Enterprises – www.ferguson.com – Irrigation Supplies

Rick Glisson – Haven Real Estate Investments – www.havenrei.com – New Playground Bathroom

Houston and Katrienne Feaster- K&H Homes - Donor houses for landscape plants and trailer

Bill and Diana Waldrop – Kennesaw Mountain Daylily Gardens – www.kennesawmountaindaylilygardens.com – The most beautiful tetraploids you’ll ever see

Barry Stooksbury/ Brian Aguirre – Lowe’s Chamblee - www.lowes.com – Countless items including but limited to garden fencing, landscape timbers, fruit trees, plants, deck stain, discounts and support

Tim Nama – Mayfield Signature Homes – www.mayfieldsignaturehomes.com – Picnic Area Renovation

The Home Depot – sprinkler heads and PVC fittings.

Robert Cole and Bennett Sands – Wood Partners – www.woodpartners.com – Topsoil, Donor landscape plants

Friends of Briarwood Park featured in Brookhaven Reporter Article

swalker59 — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:38:25 +0000

http://www.reporternewspapers.net/2013/05/01/brookhaven-news-improvements-under-way-at-briarwood-park/?utm_source=Reporter+Newspapers+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=10195694e6-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_BK&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_dbd6e0112e-10195694e6-406402669

Briarwood Park is receiving a makeover, with a new playground and pavilion area under construction.

Chad Boles, leader of the Friends of Briarwood Park, said these two improvements are part of a long-term revitalization plan for the park.

Though Briarwood Park is in the city of Brookhaven, it is still owned by DeKalb County. The county’s Parks and Recreation Department is installing a new playground, which is set to open May 9.

“At the new playground, there’s two areas. One area that’s for ages 2 to 8, the second area with larger equipment for ages 8 to 12,” Boles said.

The Friends of Briarwood Park are building what they call a “forest patio,” a landscaped pavilion area where the old playground was removed.

“It’s got new landscaping and will eventually house a community garden. We’ll have a trail that will run the length of the new landscaped area,” Boles said. “The vision for that area would be eventually we’ll be able to have community events, more outdoor social activities.”

Volunteers have been working hard on nights and weekends to get the community garden built in time to plant spring crops.

On a recent afternoon, several Drew Valley residents shoveled soil into wheelbarrows to move into the garden area.

Greg Trinkle said he enjoys walking his dog on the trails in Briarwood Park and he wants to give his time to help make the park better for his neighbors. “There’s always been a lot of activism in this area. It’s contagious,” Trinkle said.

Rob Turner, who came out to work with his four children, said he wanted to see improvements in the park but was tired of waiting around for the county to do it.

“This is the American way. You’ve got to do it yourself,” Turner said. “We’re taking the diamond in the rough and we’re polishing it.”

Boles said the project is possible thanks to donations and volunteers. “Everything in that project has been donated: time, materials, everything except the water meter. We had to pay DeKalb County for the water meter. But everything else has been donated by local corporations,” Boles said.

The Friends of the Park started planning regular work days last May to clean up the park.

“It’s been really neat. The community has come out in force and these volunteers are working their guts out. This is hard work,” Boles said.

In addition to cleaning up the grounds, Boles said the Friends of Briarwood Park would eventually like to have enough money to upgrade the pool and recreation center at the park.

“We’re all very interested in seeing a central area for our kids and families to meet and play together,” Boles said.

GET FIT FOR SUMMER AND SUPPORT BRIARWOOD PARK

swalker59 — Wed, 01 May 2013 15:38:09 +0000

Brookhaven Fitness Studio has partnered with Friends of Briarwood Park; Donate $25.00 to us and receive one free class !!

GET FIT FOR SUMMER AND SUPPORT BRIARWOOD PARK

Donate $25 to Friends of Briarwood Park

Get 1 Free Class at Brookhaven Fitness Studio

Present your confirmation of donation to:

Brookhaven Fitness Studio
2669 Osborne Road, NE
Suite B

404-814-9319

www.BrookhavenFitness.com

One Class Per Donation

Donate To Briarwood Park online

www.BriarwoodParkGA.org
(click our donations page)

or send a check to

Park Pride FBO Friends of Briarwood Park
233 Peachtree Street
Suite 1600
Atlanta, GA 30303

TAME YOUR MANE AND SUPPORT BRIARWOOD PARK

swalker59 — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:03:12 +0000

Blo Beauty Bar has partnered with Friends of Briarwood Park and is offering a 30 % discount upon presentation of receipt of $50.00 donation to the Friends of Briarwood Park. See below for details:

Donate $50 to the Friends of Briarwood Park

Get 30% off on any salon service at Blo Beauty Bar

Present your confirmation of donation

Blo Beauty Bar

2565 Apple Valley Road

Atlanta, GA 30319

678-927-9203

www.blobeautybar.com

one service per donation

Donate to Briarwood Park online

www.BriarwoodParkGA.org

or send a check to

Park Pride FBO Friends of Briarwood Park

233 Peachtree Street

Suite 1600

Atlanta, GA 30303

The Briarwood Park Forest Patio Project is nearing Phase I completion

swalker59 — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:38:39 +0000

The Briarwood Park Forest Patio Project is nearing Phase I completion. At the end of this week the landscape beds completion is on schedule. The picnic table concrete area and river bridge will be pressure washed and cleaned. More landscape timbers for creating stairs in the Park Trail are on schedule for Saturday.

Phase II will begin once the Office of Watershed Management delivers and installs the water meter. The old playground has been removed and the meter fee has been paid. It was expensive and our account has a negative balance.

Phase II will include placing landscape timbers and river rock for the trail walkway between the beds and installing the irrigation system. A new roof is going on the picnic tables. The community garden design includes decorative fencing around the perimeter. The Park Trail is a project by itself but it is on track to encircle the whole park.

Haven Construction, http://www.havenrei.com is preparing a proposal for a bathroom on the new playground. DeKalb County will review their proposal and coordinate the installation. Haven Construction has full artistic license to create whatever they like on the bathroom. The Friends of Briarwood Park’s only request was a time lock to close after sunset or thereabouts. Beggars can’t be choosers and Haven Construction’s name is on it. THANK YOU Haven Construction. DeKalb County continues construction of the pavilion, safety fencing and landscape of the new playground this week under the supervision of Revonda Moody, DeKalb Co. Parks and Rec.

We’d like to thank Ferguson Enterprises for the irrigation supplies and Revonda Moody from Dekalb County Parks and Rec who has been delightful. Additionally, Lowes, Buckhaven Construction, Casey Tree Experts and K&H Homes have been invaluable partners on this extremely tight time schedule. Please utilize all of our corporate sponsors any chance you get. In addition to supplying the needs of Briarwood Park, they are our neighbors. Thank you.

We work Thursday afternoon, Friday afternoon and Saturday starting at 9 am. Come by and help or just to say hello. We value your input.

Chad Boles, CFP®

President

Friends of Briarwood Park

www.briarwoodparkGA.org

http://www.facebook.com/BriarwoodParkRevitalizationProject

Week of April 22 work schedule

swalker59 — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:37:24 +0000

Today April 22nd is Earth Day !! So come on out to Briarwood Park and help with plantings etc on the Forest Patio Project. Below is this week’s schedule : Work generally begins around 4:00 PM

This past week we took a huge step forward. The bedding areas are completed and many of the landscape plants are planted. Brookhaven UMC spread mulch along Briarwood Way as a pedestrian walkway.

This week’s work schedule is:

· Monday-move more compost to the bedding area. Transplant more plants. Water

· Tuesday – Day off

· Wednesday – Move more compost and spread mulch.

· Thursday – Water

· Friday – Transplant more plants.

· Saturday – Pick up Lowe’s charitable donation of stain and landscape timbers. Pressure wash the bridge. Install landscape timbers on the trail. Work begins @ 9:00 AM

Thanks to all who have helped so far: Jim Eyre, Terrell Carstens, Sara Phillips and all the folks at Brookhaven UMC, Chris and Val Horner, Josh Sinclair, Rob Turner, Steve and Lee Walker. Thanks to our corporate sponsors Wood Partners, Buckhaven Homes, K&H Homes, Casey’s Tree Service, Lowe’s and Kroger. We couldn’t do it without you guys.

Our immediate needs include a pressure washer, topsoil for the community garden, new roofing for the picnic tables and irrigation supplies (1” schedule 40 PVC pipe, etc.) and decorative fencing for our community garden. We need a bobcat again to move mulch and the landscape timbers from the old playground to be reused later. Please DO NOT drop off any plants at the Park. We have a very selective plant list. Additional, unusable plants will hinder our progress and add to an already strenuous time commitment.

Have a great week everyone. See you at the Park.

Chad Boles, CFP®

President

Friends of Briarwood Park

www.briarwoodparkGA.org

http://www.facebook.com/BriarwoodParkRevitalizationProject